Muscat – The Secretariat General of the Tender Board on Tuesday said that the board floated 3,056 tenders costing over RO584mn during the first quarter of 2024 through the electronic bidding system ‘Isnad’.

These tenders encompass various development and service projects across Oman. Among the most significant tenders presented this year were the expansion of the Muscat Expressway, the establishment of Al Falah Hospital in the South Sharqiyah, the dualisation of the Al Kamil Wa Al Wafi-Jalan Bani Bu Hassan road, the unified municipal system, establishment of a livestock market in Sinaw in North Sharqiyah, and the rehabilitation of the Al Qaim road from Al Hazm to Al Washil in Rustaq.

The Secretariat General further informed that 22 tenders have been awarded in the first quarter, with a value exceeding RO136mn. This is a slight increase from the same period last year when 20 tenders were awarded.

The most important tenders awarded this year include the remaining works of the Al Sharqiyah Expressway Project (Part Two-Phase Two) from Al Kamil Wa Al Wafi to Sur in the South Sharqiyah, consultancy services for the design and supervision of the proposed development of Musandam Airport, and the supply of laboratory materials to the Ministry of Health.

Other significant tenders include the funding to the National Programme for CEOs, providing high quality buses to government agencies, a framework contract for printing and supplying textbooks for four academic years to the Ministry of Education, and designing and constructing 14 schools in various governorates.

Contracts for constructing 20 housing units and maintaining 32 others in the wilayat of Shaleem and Al Hallaniyat Islands in Dhofar were also awarded.

Eng Badr Salim al Maamari, Secretary General of the Tender Board, stated that the secretariat has worked to enhance the efficiency of bidding procedures, develop models to enhance local content in contracts and tenders, and ensure the implementation of these models to achieve local added value from spending on government projects and procurement.

Additionally, procedures related to unified purchasing and government procurement were activated to achieve the best value and service. He added that the Tender Board has provided numerous facilities to companies, including measures to facilitate bidding for small and medium enterprises and local companies.

These measures include exemption from registration fees for SMEs, setting nominal prices for purchasing tender documents, and exemption from providing temporary insurance in tenders.